Breakdown: How to run for Ohio University Student Senate

Anyone interested in running for Ohio University Student Senate may officially begin the process as of Friday, current Student Senate President Gabby Bacha announced in an email to all OU students.Those looking to run either as an individual candidate or on a ticket can now access the forms through OrgSync. Open positions include roles in Residence Life, Off-Campus Life and the Student Appropriations Commission as well as for all three executive positions of president, vice president and treasurer.To submit a ticket, the presidential candidate from that ticket must fill out a form through the Student Senate Board of Elections. The form requests a ticket name and constitution, names and contact information from each of the executive members and a ticket declaration document. The declaration document has the name and signature of every person, from executive members to senators, involved with the ticket.Each candidate who wants to apply also needs to fill out an individual application. That process asks for more information about an individual. Each candidates must give his/her contact information, schedule and more in order to apply to run. Those running must attach signatures of student currently enrolled—25 for senators and 75 for executive members.According to rules from the Student Senate Board of Elections, candidates must be from the Athens campus of Ohio University and should have at least a 2.0 GPA. Candidates may only run for one position. Those looking to apply to be off-campus senators must be eligible to live off campus, and those looking to be senator for an academic college must be enrolled in that college.Bacha said she is ready for elections this year.“I feel Student Senate elections will be a lot more organized going forward,” Bacha said in an email. “We have a dedicated Board of Elections who has been taking the time to do their homework and prepare for elections. It's unusual that (elections) are happening this early, but it will give the new administration and senators time to adjust, which will be beneficial.”Student Senate voted in November to change the timeline for elections. According to Senate Board of Elections documents, the deadline for applications is the seventh week of classes (Feb. 26) and the election will occur during week 12 of the semester (March 29 and 30).This story has been modified to reflect confirmed election dates and to correct the name of the Student Appropriations Commission.